Discovering the Power of Rowing
Amilia Rosa’s introduction to the sport of rowing happened so fast, she barely had time to think about it. One day during high school geometry class as a sophomore, her friend suggested she join Philadelphia City Rowing (PCR) to get out of the house, have something to do after school, and meet new people. She decided to try it out and joined her friend on the bus to practice. After meeting the coaches, Amilia began rowing that day.
“Ever since I walked up those fluorescent colored stairs of PCR, I never stopped rowing.”
Not only is Amilia currently a collegiate rower at Robert Morris University, this summer she has been coaching and serving as an Up2Us Sports AmeriCorps Summer VISTA with the Three Rivers Rowing Association in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. When asked about what inspires her to serve, Amilia shared three major motivations:
Making rowing more equitable for people of color
Empowering young women through sports
Building relationships with youth
Making Rowing More Equitable for People of Color
Amilia strives every day to make rowing more equitable for people of color. During her first day of rowing, one thing stood out to Amilia more than anything else: a strong black woman named Catherine Reddick. Amilia was mesmerized by her. “I saw this woman that looked like me in this sport that I did not know. I wanted to be just like her,” Amilia said.
Catherine is on the Board of Directors for PCR and works to further open the doors to the sport for other minority athletes. Amilia strongly believes that if she had not seen Catherine that day, she would not have been as interested in the sport of rowing.
“Representation in a sport means everything for a kid. They think to themselves, ‘I can do this.’”
It is very important to Amilia that teams and organizations bring athletes of color into sports, not as tokens, but because they want them to be better represented and more importantly because they care about how the sport will help young athletes of color later on in life.
Empowering Young Women Through Sports
In connection with representation in sports, this summer Amilia has been coaching and serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA to encourage all girls, in particular women of color, that they can do anything. Many of the young women that join Three Rivers Rowing lack confidence in themselves. They believe that they have to be perfect; you can see the gears turning in their heads constantly. Amilia shows these young women that she notices them putting in the effort. She reminds them that they are strong willed and compliments them when they get through longer, tougher periods of practice.
“I let young women know that I see them trying and that they don’t have to be perfect. All I’ll ever ask of them is to try their best.”
While Amilia inspires young women through coaching, she has also learned new ways to empower women through capacity-building efforts during her time as a VISTA. Amilia supports a program at Three Rivers Rowing called First Row which provides free programs and scholarships to young girls from inner city schools in the Pittsburgh area who may not be able to afford membership.
Building Relationships with Youth
Amilia immediately thinks of giving when it comes to national service, specifically having the opportunity as a VISTA to give great experiences to children through the love of rowing. As she reflects on her summer service term, she also realizes how that relationship goes both ways based on her encounters with so many amazing children, including program participants and youth volunteers. Amilia says, “they all really are exceptional humans who are going to do great things, make change in the world.”
Being thrown into a boat, told to go backwards, and asked to comprehend it all in a week is no easy task. Despite the challenge, these young participants are powerful, resilient, and eager to learn. As someone who found rowing at a time in her life when she was searching for coping mechanisms, Amilia understands the importance of having a positive support system in a young person’s life especially when it comes to dealing with trauma and depression. She emphasizes teaching self-efficacy and building confidence in children.
“If you don’t believe you can row, then it won’t happen. It’s a very mental sport.”
Building relationships with youth is what Amilia says she will always carry with her for the rest of her life.
A Lifelong Experience
Amilia explains that the great thing about rowing is you can be surrounded by the sport forever. There are people up to 89 years old who still row with Three Rivers. That means developing lifelong relationships with young athletes, teammates, coworkers, and coaches of all backgrounds. Overall, Amilia’s time as an Up2Us Sports VISTA has helped her develop as a person in so many different ways. She has tried to soak up as much of the experience as possible.
“The training and resources from Up2Us Sports has made me a more reflective coach. I believe it makes me a better person and role model for the youth that I serve.”
Amilia’s experience with the Three Rivers Rowing Association, Up2Us Sports, and AmeriCorps has pushed herself even further toward reaching her goals of making rowing more equitable for all, empowering young women and girls, and supporting youth as they grow to make positive change in this world.
